Iran has banned more than 40 IAEA inspectors over the past 4 years

The United Nations atomic watchdog chief said he regretted Iran’s decision in June to bar two experienced nuclear inspectors from the country.

“I learned with great regret about Iran’s decision to object to the designation of two inspectors who recently conducted inspections in Iran,” said Yukiya Amano, Director-General of the IAEA.

Iran has accused the two inspectors of giving “false information” about its nuclear program. But Amano told a meeting of the IAEA’s 35-nation governing board on Monday that he had full confidence in their “professionalism and impartiality.”

Apart from the two inspectors barred in June, Iran also refused access to a senior inspector in 2006 and has objected to a number of other appointments in the past.

“… Iran’s repeated objection to the designation of inspectors with experience in Iran’s nuclear fuel cycle and facilities hampers the inspection process,” Amano said, according to a copy of his speech provided to reporters outside the closed-door meeting.

He urged Iran to reconsider a decision in January 2007 to reject 38 agency inspectors.

Amano said further that Iran’s selective cooperation with his inspectors means that he cannot confirm that all of Tehran’s atomic activities are peaceful.

While all member states select inspectors from an official IAEA list, some Western nations on the agency’s 35-nation board argue that because Iran has banned more than 40 inspectors over the past four years, a case could be made that Tehran is violating the agency’s so-called Safeguards Agreement.

The dispute over the inspectors has added to international concern about Iran’s nuclear program.